JK- Teraflex S/T Swaybar System

[JasperJ]

Recently I installed an AEV 3.5" lift http://www.ausjeepoffroad.com/forum/showthread.php?t=97272 while I really like the lift it has resulted in the loss of my ability to use the Teraflex sway bar disconnects I had fitted to the Jeep.

While surfing for a solution like the Currie Anti Rock and the ORO dual rate sway bar I came across the Teraflex S/T Sway bar system. There was nothing new about the sytem as it had been available for a couple of years but due to manufacturing changes these were now available for US$300 on run out and not the US$500 odd that they were going for previously. I like the idea of the Anti-rock but as this is my DD I wasn't keen on the loss of on-road performance that had been reported on the US forums. I also could have gone with the dual rate system but I couldn't get that past the Ministry for war and finance and this one was the right price.

Before


The kit arrived in two boxes 1 had the Sway bar and all the hardware in it and the other had the mounting brackets which fit into the front beam.



First you have to cut the beam ends off level with the uprights to give the arms the clearance to move, this apparently only need to be done on pre '09 JKs.



The instructions tell you to pull the front bar off to gain access to slip the nuts in past the chassis rail, I'm lazy and I didn't want to pull everything apart again so I had the nuts turned into flag nuts by welding a tab onto the nuts.



You can see how much thicker than the standard sway bar the replacement is, but then it has to be because the lever arm is so much longer that the stock set up.




Once you manage to bash the bushings in with a compathump (Compothane) hammer you can put the arms on. You need a piece of 3" pipe or equivalent to get the bushes seated with the sway bar inside. And yes they are tight.



With the arms fitted you can then install the disconnect knob and connect the sway bar links.



This is a pretty easy install although I did find that the sway bar strike the body mounts, so these need a minor massage with a BFH or a touch up with the grinder.
I also need to fine tune the sway bar link length. As the AEV kit is supposed to give 4" in the front I got the 4"+ kit, when I think I could have gotten away with the 0-3" kit. The only difference was the length of the adjustable links. I've also found that at the minimum height the bolt head for the drivers side link ended up caught up in the tread on the tyre at full stuff. This problem would go away altogether with lower positive offset rims than the factory +44.45 mm offset. I may change to the rears links which I removed when I put the lift kit in, but I'll see how it goes first.

After


Driving on-road seems the same as before with no more body roll than before the lift, possibly less if fact. With a twist of the knob the front end is disconnected. Would I do it again, yes I think I would.

"As the AEV kit is supposed to give 4" in the front I got the 4"+ kit, when I think I could have gotten away with the 0-3" kit. The only difference was the length of the adjustable links."

you probably didnt realize at the time the AEV Kit came with 3" higher extended swaybar link mounts so theres no need for longer links as such, so yer the shorter Teraflex Kit would have done ya

I know you know your arms are way to high at the moment but i just set my ORO Arms up and i'll pass on what i did.
ORO Arms are straight where as T/F have a dog leg bend so the Link ends line up with a Straight Link. I prefer the T/F Set up cos the ORO arms require 1" long stand off bushes at each end so a Straight link (supplied) lines up. (this is not a good set up)

I ended up taking out the R/H side AEV Extended Link Mount and i modified the L/H side bracket so i can mount the Swaybar Links back on the Axel where they should be! I'm Not saying you'll have this problem but my AEV swaybar link mounts bent under the stresses of the swaybar pulling on them, this i believe happened because of three factors, 1. with the 3" extended aev mounts i ended up with short swaybar links 2. the aev metal is to thin for the job 3. the oro links are shite and the use of a 1" standoff bush that they supply worked as a lever to help bend the mount!

So to fix all that i got rid of the AEV Link Mounts, got rid of the ORO links (that continually came undone! and the heim joints squeaked too) and custom dog leg bent and then hardened some universal JKS mounts (bent different for left & right) so the links now line up perfect without the 1" bush (JKS use sealed ball joints too so no squeaking!).
Length adjusted to make the SwayBar Level with the chassis at the centre point of the shock travel. This seams to be the accepted method of setting up swaybar link lengths, at ride high the swaybar arm will sit higher than the chassis, no interference at full stuff, and no danger of inverting at full droop.

If interested i might pop up some pics from a link here as although im talking AEV im also talking ORO and you have the Teraflex, it will be good to hear what you think of the T/F in time though

[JasperJ]

Thanks for the input Mal, I realise that the angle of these is off of the planet at the moment and I will be adjusting this. One interesting thing I found was as I said the bolt head ending up on top of the tyre. I'm concerned that with a shorter link that this would end up in the tyre side wall. I had this happen with my original set of Teraflex links riding at stock height and that cost me $350 for a new tyre!

Please post up what you did as JimmyB has set up this section and is moving the threads here. I'm keen to see how you handled it.

I did know that the AEV kit reused the rear links on the front but I was unsure of how they would go with the Teraflex system. So talking to the guys at Teraflex this kit was what they advised between the two.

Tell you what though I'm a fan the one twist to unlock thing, it sure as hell beats crawling around side to side to disconnect and park the sway bar.

thats why i went with the in cab controlled ORO, i was sick of crawling under the car trying to reconnect the swaybay kneeling on the ground and getting hands covered in mud! its great having buttons hey

[jbrad]

Hey ShortBlack,
Where did you go to get the ORO discos, what price did you pay and was it any extra $ to get the incab system. I'm keen to get the pneumatic activated one for my JK.

[JasperJ]

After installing the AEV 3.5" lift and the Teraflex S/T sway bar system I was less than enthused about the angle the sway bar was on for the links to clear the tyre sidewall on flex.

I had a look at the angles and put the rears back in on the front (took out the longer ones that came with the sway bar). Because the new sway bar sits in the cross beam and sits lower than the original, I went back to the stock mounting position on the axle.

The results are great, the sway bar angle is good, no contact with the tyres and it clears the drag link at full stuff.

I was down in Sundown Nat park last weekend an it worked great.
Now

[B-RAD]

I've had my s/t sway bar for a year or to now, works great and is still real quiet. One time I went out wheeling and left it locked in and it bent all me link arm.